The Dept. of Energy is looking for comments from parties interested in helping to develop a National Energy Rating Program for Homes. This rating program aims to offer consumers easy-to-understand, reliable information about the energy performance of existing homes, and help them identify economical energy efficiency investments for their homes.
The deadline for comments is July 10, 2010.
The DoE thinks that consumers often do not have the information on a home's energy use that they need to decide whether to retrofit their homes and what investments make the most sense, hence the need for the new program. The DoE hopes the program will facilitate a new level of investment in home energy efficiency by developing a consistent way of measuring a home's energy performance and a clear method for conveying information to consumers.
The program is meant to complement existing home retrofit efforts, such as Home Performance with Energy Star, weatherization, and other state and local energy efficiency initiatives.
DoE is considering a wide range of issues including how to measure energy performance, what performance metrics to use, and how best to present information to consumers. It is encouraging participation from interested stakeholders such as state and local energy offices, realtors, consumer groups, utilities, Home Performance with Energy Star contractors and administrators, weatherization contractors, home energy rating organizations, lenders, environmental groups and non-profit organizations involved with energy efficiency initiatives.
DoE wants public input on topics that include the program's guiding principles, approaches for key elements, and additional work the Department is considering.
More info is available at the DOE site: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/pa_id=354